Maasai Mara National Reserve

Maasai Mara National Reserve covers an area of some 1,812 square km and is totally unfenced. The Maasai are permitted to graze their cattle in the exterior section, but the interior park of 518 square km is reserved strictly for the fauna. Although these people, of Nilotic origin, were feared by the first explorers to the region, the proud warriors of today spend most of their time herding cattle in search of fresh pasture.

A living tapestry of grassy savannah, spreading thorn trees, rounded hills and tall gallery forests, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is a paradise for wildlife observation.

In addition to the wildebeest and herds of zebra joining them in their annual migration to the ever changing pastures, the Maasai Mara National Reserve supports lions, cheetahs, elephants, topis, Grant and Thomson’s gazelles, and Defassa waterbuck as well as eight species of primates, and numerous varieties of birds.

As far as the impact of the seasons is concerned, August, September and October are the months where the wildebeest migration is normally present in the Maasai Mara. It offers the possibility of witnessing extraordinary scenes including the famous crossings of the Mara River.

January and February is the period during which the light is the most stunning, with magical skies and a very special atmosphere in the savannah.